Improvement in rolls for wool-washing machines



F. G. SARGENT. Roll for Wool- Washing Machines.

No.'222,423. Patented Dec. 9, I879.

Wfnasaes \memhw *uAunck s s f lLFErERS, PHOYO-UTHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON n G UNIT ED, TAT E S "To all whom it may coacern: it ,Bem known that [,FRnDEaio G. SARGENT,

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK G. SARGENT, OF GRANITEVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT'IN ROLLS FOR WOOL-WASHING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,423, dated December 9, 1879; application filed January 24, 1879.

of Graniteville, in the countyof Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Rolls of WoOl-W ashing Machines, of which the followking is a specification.

y improvement relates to the use of a roller :orof rolls made of cork, inthe manner here inafter described, for use'in wool-washin g maf chines, which are intended to take the wool in Tthe-condition in which lhCOlIlGS from the animal and cleanse or scour it of; its oil, gum, algkali, dirt, and other foreign substances.

Heretofore,in such machines, rolls cons'ruct- [ediof various materials have been tried and "used, but, owing to the presence,*when it comes from the animahof certain oily and alkaline substances not elsewhere found in tiberor fabric, none of theordinary washing devices could f befsuccessfully applied to wool-washing; and, vowing to the destructiveeftiects of said sub- ,stances when made soluhleiu thevats of the washing-machine, none of the ordinary elastic squeezing-rolls could be made to operate for 1 1 more than a very limited period of time.'

@As it was not possible to properly squeeze the fluid froin an irregular sheet of wool with metal rollers, it has long beena problem for theinventor to find somematerial which would take the place of the perishable wool-wound {metal roll or the rubberfaced roll,one of which [lacked strength in its material, and the other of which lost its strength and elasticity by the -'destructive action of this peculiar scouring liquid comingfrom the wool;

It has been found that until a certain amount of the oily,"guinmy, and alkaline substances are obtained in' solution in the scouring-liquid by passing wool-through the liquid first put int-he machine, no satisfactorys'couring of wool could be done,and that afterward the longer the scouring-liquid could be used the better j thefwork done by it, owing to its increased strength. a

It has been found that no ne of the elastic rolls could be successfully operated Without being coupled to their companion rolls, either because of their tendency to flatten or slip at ithe point of pressure andcontact with the companion roll, or to tear and strip one by the other, and also that their hold upon the wool "is less as it comes up saturated with this besame time having the qualities of elasticity,

quickness ot' hold in this peculiar liquid, and strength of material specially desirable in a roll designed to receive, under great pressure from this oilyliquid, such a fiber as wool.

It was also desirable to obtain a material which would not felt small quantities of wool upon itself when used as a roll, and could be used with another roll without connecting the shafts of companion rolls by coupling-gears.

- It is the object of my invention to provide such a roll for the special place, purpose, and condition above stated.

Myinvention consists in discovering that cork will resist the oil, alkali, and other destructive substances which are found in wool as it comes from the animal, and which become soluble in the scouring-liquid, and are a necessity to its perfect action, and that it possesses the property of nipping or catching the wool quickly as it comes saturated with the scouring-liquid, and loosening its hold upon it when pressed or squeezed comparatively dry by rolls constructed of it; and also forming it into a roller for W001 washing or scouring machines, which has a cork face, and is built up with a shaft and metallic washers in such a manner as to prevent the cork from turning on its shaft, and without making one part of pressure of from seven to nine tons, to likewise so construct it as to be able to successfully and continuously operate under it, with or Without its shaft being coupled to that of its companion roll.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a roll constructed according to my -its ends.

improvement. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of one of the washers, showing rib f on its inclined face.

A represents the shaft for the roller on which it revolves, provided with bearings at B B are collars made nearly the intended diameter of the roll, having a thread cut in them to engage with that cut on the shaft to compress and retain the annular layers of cork c c, forming the elastic face of the roll in position. D D are tapered washers having radial ribs f formed upon their inclined faces to obtain a greater hold upon the cork to prevent its rotating on the shaft. These washers I construct thicker at their inner edges than at their circumference, in order that they may have the necessary strength and may compress the cork more solidly near the shaft, and also to allow in parts of the roll adjacent to and over their edges the same radial elasticity as elsewhere in the roll, which would not be the case if the edges of the washers were thickened.

I construct the radial rib wedge-shaped, so that the above-mentioned action will be facilitated, and the cork between the washers will not be compressed in one part more than another, and the fiber torn as would he the case if the rib was of any other form. By thus obviating unequal pressure in building up the structure I produce a roll of homogeneous elasticity, so that no undue compression of the substance in one part more than in another on a right line with the shaft occurs when 'pressure is applied to the face of the roll, or while it is being built up, as would be the case if the washers or ribs were of other form.

The washer D, when viewed on a section made by a line cutting it into two equal semiannular pieces, appears as two triangles with their shorter sides opposite separated by the diameter of the hole which existed in the washer. The wedge-shaped radial ribs are placed with their length radial to the center of the washer, and are wed geshaped in crosssection.

1 thus produce a roll which operates more equally and is more durable.

e is a key or spline put in a groove in the shaft to prevent the Washers D from rotating upon the shaft. s s are layers of felt, which are inserted, if desired, between the washers and the cork, but they may be omitted.

In order to construct the rollers I cut the cork in annular sections having a hole the size of the shaft through the center. I then attach one of the collars B in place on the shaft and slip on one or more of the annular corkseetions 0. At a suitable distance I put on a layer of felt, s. 1 then slip on one of the washers D, and laying upon it another layer of felt proceed to make up another portion of the roll by slipping on cork sections, as before. and another layer of felt and a washer, and so proceed until the entire length of the roll is completed, after which I screw up the collar at the end and bind the whole firmly together, by this means rendering it solid and preventing its turning on the shaft.

If desired, layers of felt may b00l1lltt6d without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Instead of using a round shaft with a spline a shaft may be used square in cross-sectionv where the cork and washers are slipped upon it. What I claim as new and of my invention 1. A roll having a pressure-surface made of cork, in a wool washing or scouring machine, adapted to scour and cleanse the wool as it comes from the animal, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a metal shaft 'and washers, made thicker at their inner than their outer edge, cork annular rings forming a roll, substantially as described.

FREDERICK GRANDISON sARG-ENT.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. PLnnP'roN, ALLEN O. SARGEN'I. 

